From tomorrow, February 14, Circular 29 of the Ministry of Education and Training on extra teaching and learning will take effect. It can be seen that for the Circular to come into effect, it requires the decisive participation of many parties, in which the principal plays a particularly important role.
Students leave after taking extra classes at a location in Ho Chi Minh City - Photo: NHU HUNG
Since Circular 29 was issued, many principals have expressed concerns about their responsibilities. Some principals believe that managing teachers who teach extra classes is not easy.
Principal's concerns
The Circular stipulates: The principal is responsible for managing the school's teachers when they participate in extra-curricular teaching; the principal must coordinate to monitor and inspect the extra-curricular teaching activities of teachers. If violations are detected, the principal has the right to discipline, dismiss or terminate the professional duties of teachers who violate regulations on extra-curricular teaching and learning.
Managing teachers who teach outside of school can be difficult, especially when teachers do not voluntarily comply with regulations. Handling violations can be difficult due to peer relationships or pressure from stakeholders.
It is not easy to fulfill all the above responsibilities properly and completely. Therefore, in public opinion, there are principals who have considered the option of "not signing papers for teachers to participate in extra-curricular teaching to avoid trouble". Extra-curricular teaching is also a legitimate labor need of colleagues, "not signing papers" is certainly not satisfying emotionally, and logically, it is also not appropriate.
Besides worrying about teacher management, principals are also worried about many other things. For a long time, many schools have had a significant source of income from extra teaching and learning. Now that this source is no longer available, it not only affects the school's welfare fund but also reduces teachers' income, "their lives are somewhat reduced".
The biggest concern is that "achievements may decline", because if they do not follow the teaching and learning habits, will students be able to study steadily, or "if they do not go to school, they will be addicted to playing and become spoiled", "if they do not practice regularly, their studies will decline". In particular, many teachers have affirmed that "if they do not maintain extra classes as they do now at school, their efforts to build students' achievements may go to waste, and students will have difficulty passing the exam, especially final year students".
Pressure from parents can also come, pressure from superiors and colleagues is also not small!
How to "let go of worries"
I shared with many managers the content of a recent press interview with Ms. Nguyen Thi Boi Quynh, principal of Viet Duc High School (Hanoi). She said that the school had no difficulty implementing Circular 29 because for a long time the school had been organizing tutoring, training excellent students, and organizing review sessions for students for the high school graduation exam... without collecting any money.
First of all, the responsibility of teachers is to teach the required number of periods. If they teach extra hours, they will be paid from the regular expenditure fund according to the regulations for teaching extra hours. Thus, if the regular expenditure fund is well exploited, there will certainly be no situation of teachers teaching for free.
Many people responded to me that "it's very difficult, they may not be able to do it like Ms. Quynh's school". They shared that in their locality, the spending for schools is very rigid, the regular spending fund is very small, and it is also difficult for them to advise the local government to make changes! Therefore, without a mechanism from the locality, it is certain that schools will find it difficult to manage.
Through practical research, I also found that many principals default to the management habit of "teachers teach according to assigned periods and tasks, and have free time to rest". Therefore, we have not been able to do many school tasks such as: planning to train weak students and good students (regularly and continuously), providing professional training for each group of teachers, coordinating education...
This has been going on for a long time, and the inertia of managers is also great. Now that there is a specific task of managing teachers, these principals will certainly encounter many difficulties.
Looking at the functions and tasks of schools, we can see that Circular 29 is like a mirror, pointing out many things that schools have forgotten or neglected to do. Especially planning education closely to students and managing human resources. And of course, that is also the reason why schools are passive and have not done these things well.
In addition, planning education that is close to the target is a requirement of the 2018 General Education Program, and not only includes criteria based on the "learning ability" of students, but also must be based on other factors such as physical condition, qualities, lifestyle, career orientation, etc. In addition, this education plan needs to be built on transparent and democratic participation for the entire pedagogical community of the school. From there, the labor regime of each teacher and staff is determined to be fair, reasonable, effective and efficient.
Many people are concerned that tightening extra teaching and learning will affect the review of final year students. In the photo: Hanoi students taking the 2024 high school graduation exam - Photo: NAM TRAN
Important factor
The implementation of Circular 29 in the first phase will face many challenges. However, the superiority of this Circular is very clear, and if implemented well, it will certainly help the education system make remarkable changes in teaching and learning management.
The principal will be an important factor, helping teachers and parents understand and comply with regulations. At the same time, from the next school year, the development of educational plans will be closer, and the comprehensive management of school activities will be of better quality. These things promise autonomy and self-responsibility of the school in a transparent relationship, based on effective management of the team.
Many problems arise
Circular 29 takes effect, meaning that teachers need to work effectively by exploiting administrative working hours. This raises issues such as: how to arrange the work outside of administrative hours that teachers have always done? How to assign work to teachers during administrative hours? Grading papers and preparing lesson plans are easy to arrange, but if teachers are mobilized to work outside of administrative hours, how will the school calculate the payment?
A district in Ho Chi Minh City issued a document implementing regulations on extra teaching.
The People's Committee of District 12, Ho Chi Minh City has just issued a document implementing regulations on extra teaching according to Circular 29 of the Ministry of Education and Training.
Accordingly, the People's Committee of District 12 assigned the Department of Education and Training of District 12 to preside over and coordinate with the People's Committees of wards to establish an inspection team for extra teaching and learning activities in the area in February 2025; handle according to authority any organizations and individuals who violate regulations (if any); organize the deployment to the principals of public schools and leaders of educational institutions in the district to seriously implement regulations on extra teaching and learning activities.
The document also stated that the People's Committee of District 12 requested the principals of public schools and leaders of educational institutions in the district to thoroughly disseminate Circular 29 and other local directives to teachers and employees, ensuring that 100% of staff, teachers and employees fully understand Circular 29 and other local directives; the Department of Education and Training of District 12 is responsible to the People's Committee of the district if there are violations of extra teaching and learning among the management staff, teachers and employees of public schools.
The People's Committee of District 12 requires principals of public schools and leaders of educational institutions in the district to regularly review and remind school staff and teachers about regulations on extra teaching and learning; coordinate with competent authorities to handle violations (if any) according to regulations; heads of units are responsible before the People's Committee of the district if violations of extra teaching and learning occur among staff, teachers and employees of the unit.
The People's Committee of District 12 also assigned the Chairman of the People's Committee of the ward to be responsible for managing extra teaching and learning activities in the area; to monitor and inspect compliance with legal regulations on working hours, overtime hours and legal regulations on security, order, safety, environmental sanitation, fire prevention and fighting of organizations and individuals providing extra teaching and learning outside of school in the area...
Source: https://tuoitre.vn/thong-tu-ve-day-them-hoc-them-co-hieu-luc-vai-tro-quan-trong-cua-hieu-truong-20250213064649335.htm
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